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MOLE  

Talpa europaea
Linnaeus, 1758

Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Talpidae
Genus: Talpa

Morphology

The European mole exhibits highly specialized anatomical adaptations for a subterranean lifestyle, characterized by a fusiform, cylindrical body with short, robust limbs. The head features an elongated, highly mobile, and hairless snout (rostrum) adapted for substrate exploration. Reflecting its fossorial environment, the eyes are rudimentary, vestigial, and concealed within the pelage, while external pinnae are entirely absent. The dense, velvety, dark-black fur is composed of short, fine hairs uniformly oriented to allow bidirectional movement through narrow galleries with minimal friction. Subterranean locomotion is achieved via active excavation using highly developed, spade-like forelimbs modified for burrowing. During excavation, the mole compacts the tunnel walls and uses its hind limbs to displace loose soil posteriorly.

Habitat

This species occupies a broad spectrum of biotopes, including deciduous forests, plantations, shelterbelts, meadows, pastures, and river valleys adjacent to marshland. It is also well-established in cultivated fields, fallow land, and even stable sand dunes. However, the mole avoids waterlogged areas as well as highly compacted, rocky, or arid soils; it occurs at lower densities in weed-choked fields, coniferous forests, and at elevations exceeding 1,000 meters.

Diet

The mole is a strict insectivore whose diet is predominantly vermivorous, with earthworms accounting for over 90% of total biomass intake. Its trophic spectrum encompasses a diverse array of terrestrial invertebrates, including adult insects and their larvae, mollusks, terrestrial crustaceans, myriapods, and ants along with their eggs. Among the consumed entomofauna, coleopterans and dipterans occur with high frequency, whereas lepidopterans, hymenopterans, and orthopterans are less prevalent. Occasionally, the mole opportunistically preys on small vertebrates that inadvertently enter its subterranean tunnel network.

BLIND MOLE-RAT 

Nannospalax leucodon
Linnaeus, 1758

Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Spalacidae
Genus: Spalax

Morphology

The blind mole-rat features a compact, elongated, and cylindrical body structurally optimized for maneuvering through narrow subterranean galleries. The pelage is soft, dense, and velvety, exhibiting a uniform dorsal coloration that varies from slate-grey to yellowish-brown, while the ventral fur is uniformly lighter in tone. Juvenile cohorts are distinguished by a more pronounced, darker brown pigmentation. Total body length ranges from 160 to 240 mm, varying according to age, habitat quality, and resource availability. Body mass fluctuates based on sex and season, typically averaging 120–160 g in juveniles and 220–245 g in adults.

Habitat

This species occupies a range of ecosystems, including forest-steppe, steppe, semi-desert, desert, and montane zones up to elevations of 2,400 meters. Within the Republic of Moldova, it is well-established across both pristine natural habitats and anthropogenic landscapes. It colonizes friable, easily excavable soils, particularly in areas characterized by an abundance of bulbs, rhizomes, and root systems. The species exhibits a strong affinity for agricultural land and gardens, where its activities can cause substantial economic losses.

Diet

Blind mole-rats are strictly phytophagous, fossorial rodents highly specialized in the exploitation of subterranean plant organs. Their diet consists primarily of roots, rhizomes, bulbs, and tubers, as well as green aerial vegetation, which they sever with their incisors and pull down into their tunnel networks. This same mechanism is utilized to harvest plant material for nest construction. In agroecosystems, these rodents show a distinct preference for cultivated crops, including clover, alfalfa, carrots, parsley, beets, and potatoes. Beyond immediate metabolic consumption, blind mole-rats cache significant quantities of food within their galleries—a hoarding behavior that severely exacerbates crop damage and establishes the species as a high-impact agricultural pest.